Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Why You Should Be a Morning Person - And How to Become One

I would go to bed the night before already anxious about having to get up again in 7-8 hours.

I would get up at 7 am and I would already be dreaming of taking a nap…

So to sum it up - mornings are tough on all of us.

But becoming a morning person does have its benefits. To name a few:

Morning people…

Have better metabolism

Are more productive

Perform better

Feel happier

Sleep better

Look better

(Okay, I totally made that last one up, but the way I see it - if you wake up earlier, you have more time in the morning to make yourself look more presentable, or in my case - to at least brush your hair.)

Need some tips on how to become an early riser? Check mine below. I’ve been training myself to wake up at 7am everyday in the past month (no matter what time I go to bed). And I am happy to report that for the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to do so even without my alarm clock! So it’s safe to say - these tips seem to actually work. :)

Ease into it.Start slowly. If you are used to getting up at 9 am, don’t put unnecessary stress on your body by waking up at 6 am. Wake up just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual for a few days. Then cut back another 15-30 minutes. Doing it gradually will really help your internal body clock adjust to it more easily.

Have a warm robe handy.The worst part about getting up in general is having to crawl out from underneath your warm blanket and face the cold, heartless world. LOL Joke aside - bracing the cold is quite often the reason why we dread getting out of bed. Having a warm fleece robe ready to throw on makes all the difference!

Leave the bedroom. Immediately! No, seriously. Any minute longer you spend in the bedroom the more likely it is you will fall back asleep. Crawl if you need to. Just get out.

Have a routine. Having a routine takes out the need to think what you are doing next. Write down your routine if you need to, stick a post it note on your bathroom mirror. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit, so by the end of the month your body will be used to it and you won’t even need to think about it. I recently shared what my morning routine looks like, so if you’d like some ideas or inspiration - you can read about it here: My Morning Routine

Have something to look forward to. Having something to look forward to makes waking up early a much more enjoyable experience. It can be a warm cup of freshly brewed coffee, a delicious and nutritious breakfast, few minutes of peace and quiet before the rest of the family wakes up. Make your own reward, just make sure it is something you are truly excited about.

Know why you are doing it. What is your “why”? It's a critical factor, because the first question you are going to ask yourself at 6:30 in the morning when the alarm goes off is: “Why the f*ck am I doing this to myself?!?!?” Don’t allow your brain to try and talk you out of getting up. Have a solid reason for why you are doing this.

Do you have any tips of your own to share? What time do you get up in the morning and what does your morning routine look like?